Stamp-affixing machine



VV. F` SCHW'EGER.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE. APPLICATION man DEc,22,19!9

sNvENToR Wlfvam E? gehn/Myer W. F. SCHWEIGER.

STAMP IAFFIXING MACHINE,

mJPLIcATxor-l FILEUDECJL 19m.

2 SHEETSfSHEET 2.

iM/ENTOR Wi Mi am E Sch weiger Bv l ATTORNEY 4t .eral arrangement features ofthe invention, with the parts aprWaring inv normalposition before, an en-` pent-anni enanas ,trent @teren wranrainnsoiawnrenn, or noenas'inn, Niiwfronn, Assrenon ro innnrrnosr .eoinrsnrsn incoaronarnn, or ROCHESTER, naw Yoan, a conroiaa'rioiv on i To all whom t may conce/m:

Ben-itknown that LWILLIAM F. Soi-iwalenn, `a' `citizen of the United States of f America, residing at- Rochester, in the `il county of Monroe and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in 'Stamp-Aiixing Machines, of which-'the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to a machine 'fory aul@ tomatically ailixing stamps on envelopes,

'and it has for its primary purposetoprolvide eflicient and practical means for suc- 'thatthl Severeds'tamp occupies the desired nvelope.

26 Position upon isfto employ.` itself," as it travel's .through the apparatus, `operatesthe moistening means and also opv`cratesl the stamp strip "feeding mechanism,

%,* by which4 Ais meant that the stamp strip.

feeding? mechaiiism'isv operated or moved by the .envelope asA the latter travels along,A for vwhich purpose an interlocking or equivalent relationship is established be. W tween the envelopefand-v the strip feedingv mechanism so that the envelope determines the. speedof travel of the lfeeding' mechanism, the envelope and stamp strip both moving in theJ same geneiall direction.- 355 rlhe invention also consists in certain other features lof .a'd,lvai1tagef,I all of which will' be inadeclear from the following. description, in' conjunction .with 'the accompanying' drawings, 'f 'the novel .characteristicsbeing ointed out inthe claims following the specilignreil.v is a sectional view,"with'parts appearing in'r elevation, showing the genof amachine embodying Figure 2 is a ,si ilar view'showing op-v to eration vofthe moistening means as an envelope is "brought into; cooperation therewith" Figure 3 is a similar view'v showin the envelope in position after it has lifte the at mitening device ont of engagement, and

Iobyea of the inventan' ,whereby the envelope 'f with the rest of the envelope, as `the latter srai/ir-Arri'xine ernennen.

patented nag. ee, ieee.

application mea Decembera'a, wie. seriainegsacavs.

' just as it commences to operate the strip feeding mechanism;

Figure is a similar view illustrating the strip feeding mechanism after it has been operated -by the envelope, and

lfigure 5 is a similar view showing the strip feeding mechanism retracted to its normal position and the stamp severing mecha- I msm after it has been released by the envelope.

The invention may be carried out in any number of diderent ways, and for the purpose of this application l have illustrated a mechanism which is intended merely to show the diierent functions ofthe apparatus, and their sequence and mannerof operation, and do not in any sense limit the invention to any one structure.

lln the drawings, A designates a table or platform upon which the envelope B is fed by any convenient feeding devices, such as rollers or'belts, as common in this general class of apparatus.

'lhe envelope'lB is shown in its initial feeding position in Figure 1, and travels from left to right,` coming in contact first with the moistening device, which is designated generally by C. The moistening device C is pivoted at c and carries the moisteni-ng member c which projects through an openingin the table into a4 water vtank c. rl`he moistening device C also carries a foot c3 which normally rests' on the table in advance of the moistening member, and a downwardly projecting leg c4 which projects through an opening in the table for a purpose that will appear presently.

As the envelope is fed lforwardly, it first engages the foot c, elevating the moistening 'device as shown .in Figure 2, and thereafter comes into contact with the moistening inembero' and elevates it out of the water tank c2. lThe 'envelo e thenl passes under the moistening mem ver o', Awinter being transferred therefrom to the surface of the envelope. After suilicient area 'ot the envelope has been moistened to 'receivej a stamp, it is desirable that the moistening member be elevated further, s'o as to free it lfrom contact MD5 'travels through, and this' isv accomplished fthe leg. c* whichy is lifted by theenvelopezas shown in Figure 3, until the v,moistening member c is clearjof the eiirvelope. This position ot the meiste` von is occuil@ `action of the lever cl2 draws pied until the envelope has passed'beyond the leg c", after which the moistening device returns by gravity to the position of Figure 1.

As soon as theistamp space of the envelope is moistened, it is necessary to bring a stamp into proper position thereon, and to accomplish this l provide means for supporting a stamp strip and feeding the strip strip and envelope traveling in the same direction for a given distance, at the end of which the stamp is severed from the strip.

I have not deemed it necessary, for. the purpose of this disclosure, to illustrate the stamp strip and its support, because it will be understood that a coil of stamps is employed and supported as usual in manually operated stamp alixing devices. The stamp strip feeds down a channel D, being moved by fingers Z which engage the perforations between the stamps, and which travel in the guides d. The feeding fingers d are moved downwardly by a lever (Z2, the lower end of which is curved as at di, and extends in an opening or slot d* 1n the table. d 1s a supporting guide arranged under the opening d* to receive the lower end of the lever di. As the envelope travels through the ma-' chine, it' engages the lever @l2 in the manner lever d2 along, as shown in Figure 4. This l the feeding fingersl d downwardly from shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 4, and carries with the feeding lingers 'the stamp strip., which is not shown, but which, it will be understood, travels down the channel or incline l) suihciently to bring the stamp into position above the envelope, and beyond the lower end of the channel D. At the end of the'opening Z4 in the table, an inclined surface d is provided which is arranged to engage the curved end d3 of the lever and cause the latter to ride upwardly when it reaches the position in Figure 4,

until it is sufliciently elevated to become disengaged from the envelope, whereupon the spring ZT retracts the lever Z2 and with it the ystamp feeding fingers d,

1 [Following the operation of the strip feeding" mechanism, it becomes necessary to sever fthe'stamp from the strip so that it will attach itself to the envelope as the latter travels on. -This is brought 'about by severing mechanism which is normally held inactive,

yand is released by the envelope, as l will now describe. E designates a vertical reciprocatory plunger carrying a knife c.

The plunger 1E is operated downwardly to sever a stamp from the strip by means of the springcvwhich is located between a stop e2 and the table, and is under compression, ,when 1n the position of Figures l to 4. `vThe plungerv E is held in this position by a lochthe position inserer ing device consisting of the bell crank c3, the upper end of which engages a pin 0 1' stop c" on the plunger. The bell.crank 1s pivoted at e5 and its opposite end is bentdownwardly at c and' lies in the path `of the envelope, so that when the latter comes into engagement with the lower end eof the bell crank and elevates it, the upper end.

4 "thereof is tilted, as shv wn in Figure 5, and by the actuation of the envelope, the stamp the stop e4 on the'pl nger released. The spring c thereupon causes the plunger to drop instantaneously, carrying the knlfe e into contact with the stamp stripA and severing the end stamp therefrom. As soon as the envelope has passed beyond the bell crank e3, the latter isreturned to its normal position by gravity, and the plunger E 1s returned to normal position by means of a continuously rotating cam F which elevates the plunger E so that it can again be engaged and locked by the bell crank e3. As soon as the severed' stamp and envelope pass beyond the bell crank, they 'travel under a pressure roller G which engages the stamp' and forces it against the envelope tightly, the previously applied liquid serving to retain the stamp thereon.

It is to be understood that the invention set forth is susceptible of various modifications and changes from the precise mechashown 1n Figure 3, and thereafter moves the nism shown, and any` such changes or departures are to be consldered nevertheless as coming within the underlying features of my improvement as set 4forth in the followingclaims.

l claim:

l. A. machine for automatically aflixing' stamps on envelppes comprising moistening means operat by an envelope as 1t isfed `through the machine, stamp strip feeding means which is engaged and moved along by theforward edge of an envelope atthe same speed as the envelope, and stamp severing mechanism, the operation of which 1s controlled bythe envelope.

2. A machine for automatically aliixing stamps on envelopes comprising stamp strip forward edge of an envelope travelingk through the `machine for a predetermined distance causes a corresponding vtravel of vthe stamp strip feeding mechanism at the same speed as the envelope. 7

4C. A machine for automatically. aixing stamps on envelopes comprising stamp` strip feeding mechanism, vand means for establishing interlocking connection between said Vfeeding mechanism and en, @nvelopeas `it travels through the` machine, whereby the envelope moves. said feeding mechanism for a predetermined distance. y

5. A machine for automatically afiixing stamps on envelopeseomprising a table upon Willich an envelope is fed,a moistening device normally occupying `a positibn .beneath the'table and adapted to be elevated by an envelope into contact with the vjpp'er surface thereof, means carriedfby the 'I'noistenv ing device and also arranged to be engaged by the envelope so as toelevate the moistening device further and out of contact with the envelope after a predetermined area has 15 been'moistened, vstamp strip feeding mechanism, means. whereby the strip feeding mechanism is interlockingly engaged with the envelope'during a predetermined travel of -the latter, whereby the envelope actuates the strip feedingmechanism during such travel,. mechanism 4for severing a stamp from the strip,'and locking means normally holdingl the'. strip severing mechanism against "operation, said locking means being engaged by the envelopeand-actu'ated there by so as'to release the strip severing mechanism. y y

lin witness` whereof, I have hereunto signed 'my name.

WILLIAM F. SCHWEIVGER. 

